Apparatus and Method for Dispensing Liquid

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for dispensing liquid from one container into another container is disclosed.

FIELD

The embodiments relate generally to an apparatus and method fordispensing liquid from one container into another container.

BACKGROUND

Handheld gasoline containers are ubiquitous. For decades, people havefilled up a portable gasoline container at a gas station and then usedthat container to pour gasoline into their car, boat, lawn mower, orother device with a gasoline motor. One limitation of the prior art isthat a person has to physically hold the container until all of theliquid has been dispensed. Another limitation is that liquid sometimesleaks onto the hands or clothes of the person holding the container.

What is needed is a device that will enable a person to dispense liquidfrom one container into another container without physically holding thecontainer during the dispensing process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of an embodiment for dispensing liquid.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of another embodiment dispensing liquid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ONE OR MORE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment for dispensing of liquid. Dispensing device10 comprises a body 20. Body 20 comprises handles 30 to enable a personto easily hold dispensing device 10. Dispensing device 10 furthercomprises tube 40 to transfer liquid from dispensing device 10 intoanother container, such as a gas tank. Dispensing device 10 furthercomprises supporting members 50, which are used to support dispensingdevice 10 while the dispensing occurs. Body 20 preferably is watertightwhen upright so that liquid does not seep out of body 20 except throughtube 40.

In one embodiment, body 20 is manufactured using a single-mold plastictechnique that is well-known to those of ordinary skill in the art.Handles 30 in this embodiment are apertures in body 20 to accommodate aperson's hands. Handles 30 optionally could comprise physical devices,rather than apertures, that attach to body 20 that a person will holdwith his or her hands. Tube 40 preferably is a flexible device to enablea person to move tube 40 to place the loose end within the othercontainer such as a gas tank. Tube 40 optionally comprises rubber, softplastic, sectioned aluminum, or other known flexible and waterproofmaterials. Supporting members 50 in this embodiment comprise two plasticpieces that are used to support body 20. For example, this design wouldallow a person to place dispensing device 10 on a flat surface, such asa boat deck, car roof, or the ground, while dispensing the liquid. Body20 further comprises a floor, not shown, that angles downward from theouter perimeter of the floor toward a hole around which tube 40 isattached.

Dispensing device 10 further comprises supporting members 60. Supportingmembers 60 are located within body 20 and are designed to support acontainer, such as a portable gasoline container, in an invertedposition to allow liquid to flow from the container into body 20, andfrom body 20 into tube 40 and into the other container being filled. Inthis embodiment, supporting members 60 comprise four horizontal barsattached to body 20. The bars are placed such that two bars are lowerthan the other two bars, which one of ordinary skill in the art willunderstand enables a container to be supported.

Dispensing device further comprises notch 70, into which tube 40 can beinserted for easy storage when not in use.

FIG. 2 shows another embodiment. Dispensing device 100 is shown.Dispensing device 100 comprises body 140 and handles 110. Handles 110are located on the longer sides of dispensing device 100, whereashandles 60 were shown in FIG. 1 as located on the shorter sides ofdispensing device 10. Dispensing device 100 comprises supporting members120. Here, supporting members 120 comprise horizontal pieces attached tothe body 140 of dispensing device 100, where the horizontal piecesinclude rectangular faces. Supporting members support a container, suchas a portable container, in an inverted position, and the portablecontainer will rest against the rectangular faces. The floor 130 ofdispensing device 100 is angled downward from the outer perimeter of thefloor 130 toward the hole to which tube 150 is attached. One of ordinaryskill in the art will understand that floor 130 allows liquid to flowinto tube 150.

Dispensing device 100 further comprises supporting members 160 forholding dispensing device 100 upright during use, and notch 170 forstoring tube 150 when not in use.

One or ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that FIGS. 1 and 2 aremerely exemplary and that numerous variations could be used, and thatcertain characteristics shown in Figures I and 2 can be usedinterchangeably in the two embodiments.

In addition, while the foregoing has been with reference to particularembodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated by those skilled inthe art that changes in these embodiments may be made without departingfrom the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which isdefined by the appended claims.

1. An apparatus for dispensing liquid, comprising: a body, wherein thebody comprises a floor that slopes downward toward a hole; a tubeattached to the body to surround the hole; a base attached to the bodyfor holding the body upright; and supporting members within the body forholding a container in a hands-free manner.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the body is single-molded plastic.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,further comprising handles.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein thehandles are apertures in the body.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe tube comprises rubber.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thesupporting members comprise a plurality of horizontal rods.
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the supporting members comprise aplurality of rectangular pieces.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, furthercomprising a notch attached to the body for holding the tube.
 9. Amethod of dispensing liquid, comprising, filling a first container withliquid; placing a tube from a second container into a third container;placing the first container at least partially within the secondcontainer, wherein the first container is inverted and supported by thesecond container in a hands-free manner; and transferring liquid fromthe first container into the second container and from the secondcontainer through the tube into the third container.
 10. The method ofclaim 9, wherein the second container comprises supporting members andthe first container is supported by the supporting members.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the supporting members are a plurality ofhorizontal rods.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the supportingmembers are a plurality of rectangular pieces.
 13. The method of claim10, wherein the tube is rubber.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein thesecond container is supported on top of the third container.
 15. Themethod of claim 10, wherein the second container is not in physicalcontact with the third container except through the tube.
 16. The methodof claim 10, wherein the second container comprises a body.
 17. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the body comprises single-molded plastic.18. The method of claim 10, wherein the liquid is gasoline.
 19. Themethod of claim 16, wherein the body comprises handles.
 20. The methodof claim 19, wherein the handles comprise apertures in the body.
 21. Aportable apparatus for dispensing liquid in a hands-free manner,comprising: a body, wherein the body comprises a plurality of handlesand a floor that slopes downward toward a hole; a tube attached to thebody to surround the hole; a base attached to the body for holding thebody upright; and supporting members within the body for holding acontainer in an inverted position without human assistance.
 22. Theapparatus of claim 21, wherein the handles are apertures in the body.23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the supporting members comprise aplurality of horizontal rods.
 24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein thesupporting members comprise a plurality of rectangular pieces.
 25. Theapparatus of claim 21, further comprising a notch attached to the bodyfor holding the tube.